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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25296133">unorthodox tradition</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areiton/pseuds/Areiton'>Areiton</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Without Words - Stony Love Confessions [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Besotted Steve Rogers, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Holidays, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Traditions, Unconventional Families</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:20:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25296133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areiton/pseuds/Areiton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The thing about Tony is that he doesn’t care much about things like birthdays and holidays. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Without Words - Stony Love Confessions [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>unorthodox tradition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The thing about Tony is that he doesn’t care much about things like birthdays and holidays. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He throws a party for his birthday, of course--he always does, an extravagant expensive thing that is as lavish and over the top as any of his parties from the twenties. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t include strippers anymore--Pepper and Rhodey both begged him to stop that and at some point it became more crass than fun. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But even </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>--it’s more expectation than actual desire, and it’s the closest Tony gets to family traditions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Starks don’t really believe in tradition,” Tony tells Steve, lazing across his belly, fingers caught in Steve’s golden fine chest hair. “Holidays were more about the optics than family.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s said easily, with a casual nonchalance that cuts at him, but he doesn’t do much to address it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not then. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~*~ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Christmas slips by almost unnoticed. Tony curls against Steve and they exchange gifts, but there isn’t much to it--both are weighed down by the losses that December brings, rather than the festive season. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>New Years comes, and Tony kisses Steve before he vanishes for a few hours and returns, tired but sparking with energy, stripping out of one his elegant suits as he crosses the room to drop in Steve’s lap and kiss him, tasting like champagne and crab puffs and smiling bright. “I missed you, beloved.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve holds his hips and kisses him back. He wonders where Tony’s been, but it fades under the weight of Tony’s hips under his hands and his tongue lightening quick in his mouth and the needy noises that drown out the quiet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~*~ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It happens again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For Valentine’s Day and near Easter, and once during Lent. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It happens often enough--Tony vanishing and returning, tired and happy and pliant under his hands--that it begins to bother Steve. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Tony never mentions it, and Steve isn’t sure he’s allowed to, so he keeps his mouth closed, and never asks, but he wonders, and he watches, anxious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~*~ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rhodey follows him home one night, in his dress blues and a little bit tipsy, Pepper a few steps behind, dressed to the nines. Tony kisses Steve, a happy noise in his chest spilling out, and Steve accepts it happily enough, but his eyes trace them, the three of them, the way Pepper and Rhodey crowd him and support him, and steer him gently toward his bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rhodey is waiting, in threadbare flannel and a too small grey t-shirt, when Steve comes back from his run the next morning</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have questions,” he says, and Steve nods. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~*~ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Starks don’t have traditions, not holiday traditions like families he saw from the outside, like he saw the Barnes having. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They weren’t normal, though,” Rhodey says. “They have their traditions--but they’ll never be the ones you expect.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why didn’t he tell me?” Steve asks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rhodey laughs, shrugs. “Because he hated them, growing up. And they’re how he feels close to Maria--and sometimes even Howard--now, but that association hasn’t quite faded.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~*~ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s waiting, one Maria’s birthday, when Tony comes down in his three piece suit, beautiful and sparkling with excitement and he watches, as Tony’s whole face goes bright and happy when he sees Steve waiting in his dress uniform. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~*~ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The galas and art openings and charity benefits aren’t Christmas morning and warm breakfast and family crowded close. They’re old ladies who Tony charms and canapes and champagne, string orchestra and laughter and razor sharp smiles and Tony’s warm weight leaning into him and his arm around Tony’s waist, and happy, sweet kisses, and they’re tradition. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Tony’s smile, brilliant and shyly pleased, is his favorite part. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
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